The utilization of personal communication service (PCS) wireless terminals and switching systems is increasing for office buildings, large retail stores, hospitals, etc. The capability of being able to communicate with employees where ever they may be in a facility has proven to be worth the cost of the installation of PCS systems. Within office buildings where the employees work the same set of hours, it is necessary to assign to each employee their own PCS wireless terminal. However, within large retail stores and hospitals where multiple shifts are worked during the day, it is sufficient to have a number of PCS wireless terminals equal to the number of employees on a given shift. The sharing of PCS terminals in this manner greatly reduces the cost of installing a PCS system.
Problems have arisen because of the small size of the PCS terminals, and the fact that employees become accustomed to having the PCS terminal on their person. The end result is that an employee leaving for the day has a reasonable probability of leaving the facility with the PCS terminal; thus, leaving another employee on the next shift without a PCS terminal. In general, the problem is not so much that the employees are trying to steal the PCS terminals, but rather that they are simply forgetting to turn the PCS terminal in at the end of their shift.
What is needed is a procedure and mechanism whereby the employees will be alerted if they attempt to leave the facility with a PCS terminal.